Generally, an electronic control apparatus such as an electronic control unit (ECU) which electronically controls various apparatuses is equipped in a vehicle. The electronic control apparatus receives information from sensors or switches which are equipped in each part of a vehicle and processes the received information to serve to improve riding comfort and safety of the vehicle or perform various electronic controls for providing various conveniences to a driver and passengers.
For example, the electronic control apparatus such as the ECU which controls a state of an engine, an automatic transmission, an anti-lock brake system, and the like of the vehicle using a computer serves to control all the parts of the vehicle, such as a driving system, a braking system, and a steering system, as well as controlling the automatic transmission, with the development of performance of the vehicle and the computer.
The electronic control apparatus such as the ECU is configured to include a case with an upper cover and a lower base, a printed circuit board (PCB) received in the case, a connector coupled with a front end of the PCB for external socket connection.
The case has a structure in which the cover and the base are assembled together while covering the PCB, in particular, the connector interposed between the cover and the base at the time of assembling the cover and the base has a sealing structure with the cover side and the base side.
The electronic control apparatus has a highly integrated control circuit means and thus requires a predetermined sealing structure to be able to prevent external moisture or foreign objects from being introduced thereinto. The electronic control apparatus mainly adopts the sealing structure for protecting the PCB, and the like therein in a scheme of assembling the cover and the base together with the connector, in the state in which a sealing agent is inserted into the coupling portion among the cover, the base, and the connector.
Meanwhile, the electronic control apparatus may be assembled by being inserted into a housing in a slide form. In this case, in the electronic control apparatus in a one-piece housing form, when the PCB is assembled by being slid inside the housing, the PCB is not fixed within the housing.
In particular, when a one-piece slot type housing is made of a metal material, the PCB inserted into the housing is not fixed but may vibrate or move as much as a gap of the housing. The electronic control apparatus is equipped in the vehicle and therefore may severely vibrate. Therefore, the electronic control apparatus configured of the one-piece slot type housing may be damaged due to the vibration of the vehicle.